Siliguri rivals in bridge collapse row

Siliguri: The chief of the Left-run Siliguri Mahakuma Parishad
(SMP) on Saturday shifted the onus of Friday's bridge collapse to the
local Trinamul-controlled panchayat samiti and block authorities, a day
after being blamed for the incident.

Tapas Sarkar claimed the SMP
had "no responsibility". "The bridge was built by the panchayat samiti
under the Border Area Development Programme (BADP). In 2016, the block
administration had sent an estimate to us, mentioning that Rs 7 lakh was
required for maintenance. We consulted our engineers and revised the
estimate to Rs 16 lakh. It was then sent back to the block but no steps
were taken by the administration or the samiti," Sarkar said on
Saturday.

On Friday, Trinamul members and state ministers Gautam Deb and
Rabindranath Ghosh had accused the SMP of not taking any initiative to
repair the bridge in Phansidewa, pointing that the estimate was sent in
2016.

Asked why the SMP did not take up repairs, Sarkar said the funds for
maintenance of the bridge were sent to the block. "The block
administration is supposed to take up the work. It has nothing to do
with the SMP."

Sarkar claimed seven other bridges in the rural areas of Siliguri
were in a precarious "shape". "We have identified those bridges and
drawn up estimates. Funds have been sought from the West Bengal State
Rural Development Agency to take up maintenance and repairs."

Kajol
Ghosh, leader of the Opposition at the SMP, rejected Sarkar's
contention. "He is trying to evade responsibility. The funds for
maintenance might directly flow into the block from the administration
but the initiative has to be taken by the SMP. The SMP should have
informed the administration," said Ghosh.

Pranay Majumdar, the BDO of Phansidewa, said funds had been sought from the SMP.

The Telegraph

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The chief of the Left-run Siliguri Mahakuma Parishad (SMP) on Saturday shifted the onus of Friday's bridge collapse to the local Trinamul-controlled panchayat samiti and block authorities, a day after being blamed for the incident.